Maple Leafs can make a statement this week

Ex-Maple Leafs greats Dave Keon (left) and Dick Duff wave to the Air Canada Centre crowd during Saturday’s pre-game salute to the 1963 Cup champions. Time will tell whether the 72-year-old Keon’s No. 14 is one day hanging from the rafters. (DAVE THOMAS/TORONTO SUN)

Former Toronto general manager Bill Watters made a good point on Sunday that the Leafs’ next three games are against teams that finished ahead of the Leafs last year, but currently sit behind them and on the wrong side of the playoff ledger. So it would be something of a statement on the Leafs’ part to get four or more points against the Panthers, Lightning and Sabres before a Saturday night rematch in Ottawa.

Another significant comparison to last year is the Leafs’ nine wins after 15 games. That Ron Wilson coached team was already in the throes of losing five of six games and other than a blip or two in January, was headed to a seventh straight playoff disconnect. Building on that is a must, whether it’s this week or next month. The Leafs have found a way to keep the goals against down versus last year so far, despite losing James Reimer to injury, while offence is about the same, even with just two Phil Kessel goals and the second line becoming more defensive in nature.

The Leafs’ nine wins also ties the most they’ve had at this stage since Pat Quinn’s team won 10 to start the 1999-00 season.

Shy and retiring

In the two rare visits that Dave Keon has made in the past six years, a flood of speculation has followed that his No. 14 might one day be honoured or retired at the ACC.

It won’t happen this year or next, but no one is saying he won’t eventually relent. Many older fans, Stanley Cup starved for 45 years, are keen to see him accept the standing offer and finally close a decades-old wound. With the subject still a sensitive one, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is treading lightly with the 72-year-old Keon. The Bay St. brass were just happy to have him in the building on Saturday for the salute to the 1963 Cup champions.

“He had a great visit and was very appreciative of the hospitality,” MLSE president Tom Anselmi said on Saturday. “He was at the dinner (Friday) night. I spoke with him tonight briefly to thank him for coming.

“I didn’t raise the banner issue, no pun intended. He knows he is welcome here anytime and knows we’d love to (have a ceremony). But (it’s on) his timeline. We don’t need to push him.”

Mark and Mac Show

Wasn’t the goaltending question this year supposed to revolve around the Leafs and not their farm team?

An interesting situation developed with the Marlies on the weekend when coach Dallas Eakins tagged new journeyman Drew MacIntyre to start against the Hershey Bears. With the Marlies struggling with a revamped roster since the NHL lockout ended and Mark Owuya losing his previous two starts, MacIntyre proved the tonic with 17 saves in a 2-1 win. It included two point blank chances and a breakaway.

“Mark was upset he wasn’t getting the start,” Eakins said. “But that’s what I love about him. He’s a fighter and he works extremely hard. But I thought it was important to see what we have with the other guy. That’s pro sports. Sometimes you’re not going to play and we want guys to be upset when they aren’t. They also have to realize, as Mark did, that we’re doing this for the team.

“We wanted to do an assessment on MacIntyre. He came highly recommended, playing in the KHL and the East Coast League. Sometimes you need to see it with your own eyes.”

That assessment will likely include a second game, 1 p.m. Monday at Ricoh Coliseum against the Houston Aeros. An original Red Wing draft pick, MacIntyre was once a short-term back-up to Roberto Luongo in Vancouver. He was playing for Prague in the KHL early this season until breaking his ankle.

“They aren’t the most patient people over there and they find someone to replace you right away,” a rueful MacIntyre said. “I came back home and it was a very humbling experience. My agent was sending (e-mails) to every pro league in North America, but I couldn’t get anything. I needed to learn some lessons and one of them was that I needed to be a little more patient.”

He wound up with Reading, Pa., of the ECHL, ironic because the Royals had been Owuya’s home before their loan agreement with the Marlies ended last summer. When Jussi Rynnas was promoted to replace the injured Leaf James Reimer, MacIntyre was added on a tryout contract, becoming the oldest of all five pro goalies in the organization.

The native of Charlottetown has made seven NHL affiliation stops in all, Detroit, Vancouver, Atlanta, Buffalo, Nashville, Montreal and Toronto, but played just four bog-league games. Though he’s from Leaf country in PEI, he followed one goalie rather than one team.

”Andy Moog,” he said. “Wherever he was, I was a fan of that team.”

Loose Leafs

The Leafs are still leading the Eastern Conference in giveaways with 147 before Sunday, but were better on Saturday. The good news is they don’t have anyone in the top 10 of that dubious category. All but six of the top 25 butterfingers are with Eastern teams ... With Reimer (age 24) and Ben Scrivens (26) each getting a shutout this season, it’s the first time Toronto goalies that young have done it the same year since Peter Ing and Jeff Reese tallied one apiece in 1990-91 ... Toronto is now up to a record of 7-1 when leading after two periods and 7-3 when it’s out-shot ... Randy Carlyle’s record since replacing Wilson is now 15-15-3. He’s already passed Joe Crozier and Nick Beverley in career Leaf victories ... Captain Dion Phaneuf is one goal shy of 100 in his NHL career with Calgary and Toronto.

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Maple Leafs can make a statement this week

Former Toronto general manager Bill Watters made a good point on Sunday that the Leafs’ next three games are against teams that finished ahead of the Leafs last year, but currently sit behind them and on the wrong side of the playoff ledger. So it would be something of a statement on the Leafs’ part to get four or more points against the Panthers, Lightning and Sabres before a Saturday night rematch in Ottawa.